Root Canal Procedure Changing Your View Of Root Canals

The root canal procedure is a misunderstood dental treatment. You will hear many misconceptions, errors, and exaggerations when you start asking what it's like to have a root canal treatment.

This lack of understanding causes:

• stress 
• fear 
• anxiety 
• loss of sleep 
• bad treatment decisions 
• conflict with your dentist 

Once you accurately understand the root canal procedure you will be able to experience The Relaxed Root Canal.

I have been performing root canals for over 20 years as an endodontist (root canal specialist). I have performed thousands of root canals and heard many questions related to the procedure and its outcome.

Three of the questions I've been asked regarding root canals are:

1. Are root canals safe?

2. What are the common root canal problems?

3. What is the incidence of root canal failure?

Root Canal Procedure Answers:

Yes, it is a very safe procedure. In fact it is one of the safest procedures performed in dentistry today. Of course that statement assumes the procedure is being performed properly.

In The Relaxed Root Canal I will give you the one question to ask your dentist that will help you determine if the procedure will be done safely.

You should get the right answer to this question before having your root canal treatment. I'll even give you my recommendation on what to do if you get the wrong answer.

There are 2 common misconceptions that lead people to ask, “are root canals safe?”:

• Misconception #1: A root canal is when they pull your root out. Your root is not pulled out when you have a root canal procedure. You keep your root and your tooth! 
• Misconception #2: The root canal procedure involves cutting the tooth nerve out. That sure doesn’t sound very relaxing, does it? Cutting a nerve out is not an accurate depiction of a root canal procedure.

Your tooth doesn’t have this big nerve on the inside. There is a small amount of soft tissue on the inside of your tooth called the dental pulp.

This tissue does contain nerve tissue but it also contains blood and lymphatic vessels. This is simply removed during the root canal treatment.

By the time a tooth needs a root canal procedure this tissue has usually become inflamed or infected. That means it has already begun to break down and dissolve.

In fact, sometimes the tissue is completely gone! This leaves an empty channel inside the tooth that simply must be cleaned and filled.

The main point here is that you should eliminate the picture of a nerve getting pulled out of your tooth. Instead, you should picture the root canal procedure as simply cleaning and filling a small space inside your tooth.

2. What are the common root canal problems?

You do need to keep in mind that the root canal procedure is a medical procedure being performed on a complex human body. For that reason, problems will occasionally be encountered.

Understanding these potential problems will help you stay relaxed if one of them is encountered during your root canal treatment.

Root Canal Procedure: Common Root Canal Problems:

• Tooth anatomy. Sometimes your dentist will be able to see this on the x-ray taken before your root canal procedure is started. This can include extra roots, severe curvature of the root, calcified root canals, and/or severe branching of the dental .
• Resistant bacteria. Health care providers in many fields are faced with bacteria that are more resistant to elimination. This is also true in dentistry. It is possible to have a tooth infected with a strain of bacteria that may take more time to eliminate. Don’t panic, however, because in the vast majority of cases your infection will be resolved in time.
• Cracked tooth. Cracks are very common in teeth and can complicate your treatment. The most significant problem this poses for your dentist is that there is usually no way to know how extensively your tooth is cracked. Some cracks are easily managed while others will result in tooth loss.
• Limited access. Your dentist needs to be able to get to your tooth in order to perform the root canal procedure. There are two factors that may limit access to your tooth and cause a problem for your dentist:
• Tooth location. A tooth located at the back of your mouth and rotated toward your tonsils will be more of a problem than a tooth near the front of your mouth.
•  Limited opening. Some patients simply cannot open their mouth very wide. This may be a complicating factor in your treatment. This is especially true for a second molar root canal.

3. What is the incidence of root canal failure?

One might think that the root canal procedure is never successful by listening to the stories of others.

That’s because the people who have a successful and uneventful root canal treatment usually don't think to tell others how easy it was.

The reality is that the root canal failure rate is only about 5%! This makes it an extremely successful procedure. That is why millions of teeth are saved each year with the root canal treatment.

Although a root canal is a simple and successful procedure it is still a challenge to overcome the fear and anxiety that comes after hearing the words, “you need a root canal.” For the fearful patient I’ve written The Relaxed Root Canal.

In this book I answer over 80 questions that are commonly asked about root canals.

These questions include:

• Are root canals controversial? 
• Will my root canal hurt? 
• How do I know if I need a root canal? 

The final chapter in  The Relaxed Root Canal  has practical tips that will help you stay cool and calm during your root canal procedure.

For more information on The Relaxed Root Canal please  CLICK HERE.

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